Ford is a first-team soccer selection

The memories will last a lifetime.

The Weir boys soccer team made history when it advanced to the state tournament for the first time in program history. Weir finished at 13-10 after the 8-6 loss to Berkeley Springs in the West Virginia Class AA-A semifinals.

The Red Riders claimed the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Division II regular season championship for the third straight season, and they also claimed sectional and regional titles.

Seven Weir players were honored with spots on the 2008 West Virginia High School Soccer Coaches Association all-State Teams.

Junior forward Chad Ford was named to the Class AA-A first team.

"Chad is very deserving of the honor," Weir head coach Joe Pepe said. "He is an all-around player. All he wants to do is play soccer. He has great foot skills and speed, and he knows where to put the ball.

He scored 50 goals, and I think he had 23 assists on the year. So, he is very deserving of the award.

"We knew he was going to have a good year. For him to be a 50-goal scorer, that is a great thing. He scored goals against some tough teams. He did an excellent job. Hopefully, he continues his success this year into next year in his senior season."

Senior forward Thomas Bell was named to the second team.

"It is another deserving honor," Pepe remarked. "He scored 30 goals, and I think he had 23 assists as well. He had a very fine season there."

Pepe added that Ford and Bell formed a strong presence up front.

"Yes, they did," he commented. "With their speed and those two playing together in travel, they did very well. I can't say enough about our goal scorers, but we also have a defense and a midfield that works hard."

Five Weir players were named honorable mention - senior goalie Chad Butler, junior defenders Chester Barnabei and Johnny Pennacchio and midfielders Stephen Felton (junior) and Matt Kopp (sophomore).

"I wish we could have got more kids on the team, but that is the way the coaches voted," Pepe noted. "They are very deserving kids. We try to play teams down state so that the other coaches, they get to see them play."

Playing in the state tournament will help the Weir players receive postseason honors in the future.

"Yeah, for next year, for the kids coming back," Pepe said.

Oak Glen senior Kyle Porter was named honorable mention.

"He is very deserving," Oak Glen head coach Sam Paletta stated. "He has played soccer is whole life. Some kids come out as freshman in high school, and they turn out to be real good soccer players. We have had a lot of those. Kyle loves soccer.

"He has been playing the sport since he was 6 or 7 in the youth league. He is always playing in the offseason. He plays indoor soccer, and he plays travel soccer in the spring. He is really devoted to playing soccer."

Porter was a four-year starter for the Golden Bears.

"Kyle is one of those players that he can play anywhere we need him to play. Unfortunately, there is only one of him," Paletta said.

"Actually, his best position is goalie, but with the type of team we had, and the size we had, we couldn't take him off of the field. It was more important for us to have him on the field than in the goal. He went a long ways to help develop the younger on the team. He is very unselfish. He gave up the position he would have loved to have played for betterment of the team.

"Kyle has played all 11 positions on the field throughout the course of the year," Paletta remarked. "Wherever we needed him, he would step in and play there without question."

(Petchal can be contacted at apetchal@heraldstaronline.com)